Door handle cover



Oct. 12, 1965 A. R. JOHNSON DOOR HANDLE COVER Filed June 21, 1965 United States Patent 3,210,972 DOOR HANDLE COVER Arthur R. Johnson, Beverly Hills, Califi, assignor to Virginia R. Johnson, Laguna Beach, Calif. Filed June 21, 1963, Ser. No. 289,654 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-211) This invention relates to door-lock security devices, and particularly to covers for doorknobs having locks mounted in the doorknobs.

It has recently become quite common for hotels, motels and the like to equip the doors of their guest rooms with locks in which the tumblers of a key-operated lock are mounted in the doorknob of the door. The present invention provides apparatus for rendering such locks inaccessible to unauthorized persons. Such apparatus is useful either when the guest is in the room or when the guest has temporarily departed from the room. The apparatus of the present invention is simple, effective and economical.

Generally speaking, the present invention provides a door-lock security device including, in combination, a hollow shell member, a closure member, and key actuated lock means. The shell member defines an internal cavity adapted for receiving a doorknob. The cavity opens to a base side of the shell member. The closure member is releasably engageable with the shell member across the cavity adjacent the base side of the shell member to retain the shell member around a doorknob disposed in the cavity. The lock means are mounted on the shell member and are operatively engageable with the closure member to securely retain the closure member in engagement with the shell member.

The above mentioned and other features of the present invention are more fully set forth in the following detailed explanation of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a door-lock security device according to the present invention showing a doorknob disposed in the housing of the device;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the closure member of the device shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the housing of the device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 which are crosssectional elevation views of a door-lock security device taken along perpendicular planes, the device includes a hollow shell-like housing 11 and a closure member or retainer 12. The housing is substantially cubical in overall configuration and has a top wall 14 and a front wall 15 which, in part, enclose an internal cavity 16. The housing has a base side 17 opposite the top wall of the housing. The cavity opens to the base side of the housing so that, in the preferred embodiment shown, there are no restricting flanges extending from the walls of the housing to partially close the cavity. The cavity is particularly adapted to receive a doorknob 18 therein.

Doorknob 18 is mounted to a door 19 which includes a conventional latch mechanism 20. The knob is mounted on a shaft 21 which has a diameter less than that of the knob. A key operated lock 22 for latch mechanism is mounted in doorknob 18 and is conventional.

The shell-like housing of device 10 also includes a pair of preferably substantially parallel side walls 24 and 25 which preferably are disposed at right angles to housing front wall 15 and to housing top 14. Walls 24 and 25 define cooperating parallel guideways, preferably in the form of straight grooves 26 and 27, respectively, for the 3,210,972 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 closure member or knob retainer 12. The grooves open toward each other across cavity 16 and are formed in walls 24 and 25 adjacent base surface 17 so that the closure member is slidably engageable in the grooves. The front wall of the housing terminates at the upper extents of the grooves 26 and 27, as shown in FIG. 1, so that closure member 12 may be engaged in the grooves. Alternatively, a slot may be formed in the front of the housing in line with the grooves so that the retainer member may be passed through the slot into engagement with the grooves.

The knob retaining closure member 12, provided for retaining doorknob 18 is the housing, preferably is a planar rectangular member having a front edge 30, side edges 31 and 32, and a rear edge 33. The closure member has a slot-like opening 34 formed through it; the opening extends to edge 33. The opening has a width between side edges 31 and 32 which is greater than the diameter of doorknob shaft 21 but which is considerably less than the diameter of the doorknob and less than the transverse extent of housing cavity 16. Accordingly, the closure member is of bifurcated configuration and defines a pair of parallel fingers 35 and 36. The width of the closure member between side edges 31 and 32 is such that the closure member is slidably engageable in the housing guideways defined by grooves 26 and 27.

Midway between side edges 31 and 32 and adjacent front edge 30, the closure member defines an elongated recess 39 disposed parallel to the closure member front edge. It is preferred that recess 39 extend through'the closure member.

Security device 10 includes lock means mounted to the housing and releasably engageable with the closure member when the closure member is engaged across the cavity. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lock means is a lock 40 which is operated by a key 41. The lock has a tumbler barrel 42 which extends through an aperture 43 in the housing front wall from a latch enclosure 44 which is mounted interiorly of the housing. A movable latch member 45 extends form the latch enclosure for engagement in recess 39 of the closure member when the closure member is engaged with the housing and when the lock means is operated. It is apparent that the lock means, and especially latch member 45, provides for securing the closure member in engagement with the housing. The lock means is of conventional manufacture and does not form a part of the present invention except in combination with the housing and the closure member. The lock may be offset inwardly of the recess a selected amount if desired so that the end of the tumbler barrel is flush with the exterior of the housing. Alternatively, the housing may be ornamentally configured to enclose the tumbler barrel.

' A pair of detent elements 50, 51 are raised from one side of the closure member adjacent the ends of fingers 35 and 36 near edge 33 of the closure member. The detent elements preferably are provided in the form of rivets or the like and engage the inner side of housing front wall 15 along the lower edge of the housing front wall when the closure member is retracted to clear doorknob 18. The detent elements provide that the closure member does not become completely disengaged from the housing. The detent element may be deleted, however, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Use of security device 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The housing is disposed over doorknob 18 so that the doorknob is disposed in cavity 16. The closure member is then engaged with the housing so that fingers 35 and 36 of the closure member straddle knob shaft 21. Key 41 is then inserted into tumbler barrel 42 and lock 40 is operated to engage latch 45 in closure member recess 39. The key is then removed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that security device provides simple and effective apparatus for preventing insertion of a key into knob lock 22.

The security device also finds utility when used with doorknobs which do not have a lock incorporated therein. Housing 11 is so sized that a doorknob is loosely engaged within cavity 16. When the device is installed over a doorknob, it is not possible to turn the knoob since the housing slips on the knob.

The device is particularly useful to a traveler who wishes to assure that his hotel room will not, either in his absence or while he is present in the room, be entered by unauthorized persons.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention and shows a security device in which housing side wall 24 carries a laterally extending projection 55. The projection preferably is formed integral with the housing and extends along at least a major portion of housing side Wall 24 adjacent housing base surface 17. When the security device is installed over a doorknob the projection extends into justaposition with the adjacent door jamb over the latch operated by the doorknob so that a knife blade or the like cannot be inserted between the door and the door jamb to jimmy the door lock. It is apparent that a security device equipped with projection 55 is useful both with doorknobs having lock mechanisms incorporated therein and with doorknobs not having a lock mechanism incorporated therein.

The invention has been described above in conjunction with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, but this description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A door-lock security device comprising in combination a substantially cubical hollow housing having an open side and adapted to loosely enclose a doorknob, opposite sides of the housing internally thereof proximate the housing open side defining a pair of aligned oppositely opening grooves extending between the ends of the housing, a doorknob retainer member having a length sufiicient to extend across the interior of the housing from end to end of the housing engaged in the grooves along opposite sides thereof and disposed across the interior of the housing, the retainer member defining an elongated recess therein opening to one end of the member, the recess having a width greater than the supporting shaft of a doorknob disposed in the housing but less than the diameter of the doorknob whereby the member retains the housing on the doorknob when one end of the member is abutted with one end of the housing and whereby the housing is removable from the doorknob when the member is moved relative to the housing so that the one end of the member is disposed adjacent the other end of the housing, and means mounted to the housing and engageable with the retainer member for locking the member in position relative to the housing when the retainer member is positioned to retain the housing on a doorknob disposed therein.

2. A door-lock security device comprising, in combination, a hollow shell member having a base side and defining an internal cavity adapted for receiving a doorknob mounted on a shaft, the cavity opening to the base side of the shell member, a slidable closure member having a slot through which the shaft may extend engaged with the shell member across the cavity proximate to the shell member base side for retaining the shell member relative to a doorknob disposed in the cavity, lockable latch means mounted on the shell member and operatively engageable with the closure member to securely retain the closure member in engagement with the shell member, and means engageable between the shell member and the closure member for preventing total disengagement of the closure member from the shell member.

3. A door-lock security device comprising, in combination, a hollow housing having an open side, the housing defining an internal cavity adapted for receiving a doorknob mounted on a shaft of a door latch mechanism disposed in a door and having a latch tongue which is operated upon rotation of the shaft, a doorknob retainer member engaged with the housing for movement relative to the housing transversely of the cavity for securing the housing about a doorknob disposed in the cavity, the retainer member having an opening therethrough adapted for engagement around the shaft of a doorknob disposed in the cavity when the retainer member is engaged with the housing, a lockable latch means mounted to the housing and engageable with the retainer member when the retainer member is engaged with the housing for securing the retainer member in engagement with the housing, and a projection extending laterally from the housing away from the cavity adjacent the open side of the housing for overlying the latch tongue of the door latch mechanism and for registering with a door jamb cooperating with said door to impede the insertion of a jimmying instrument between the door and the door jamb.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,599 2/78 Beachman -232 X 1,814,961 7/31 Phillips 292346 2,273,580 2/42 Kruschwitz et al. 23243.5 2,458,002 1/49 Kaskouras 70211 2,883,850 4/59 Falck 70431 3,084,965 4/63 Carosello 292-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,672 10/36 Great Britain.

619,653 3/49 Great Britain.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner, 

2. A DOOR-LOCK SECURITY DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW SHELL MEMBER HAVING A BASE SIDE AND DEFINING AN INTERNAL CAVITY ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING A DOORKNOB MOUNTED ON A SHAFT, THE CAVITY OPENING TO THE BASE SIDE OF THE SHELL MEMBER, A SLIDABLE CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING A SLOT THROUGH WHICH THE SHAFT MAY EXTEND ENGAGED WITH THE SHELL MEMBER ACROSS THE CAVITY PROXIMATE TO THE SHELL MEMBER BASE SIDE FOR RETAINING THE SHELL MEMBER RELATIVE TO A DOORKNOB DISPOSED IN THE CAVITY, LOCKABLE LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SHELL MEMBER AND OPERAIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CLOSURE MEMBER TO SECURELY RETAIN THE CLOSURE MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHELL MEMBER, AND MEANS ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN THE SHELL MEMBER AND THE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR PREVENTING TOTAL DISENGAGEMENT OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER FROM THE SHELL MEMBER. 